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Construction, Education and Training Authority (Ceta) chairperson Raymond Cele, who upset members of Parliament last week when he failed to show up for a committee sitting, has an investigation into allegations of attempted tender-rigging hanging over his head.
The forensic probe, which featured the names of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former higher education minister Hlengiwe Mkhize and eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, was concluded in May this year.
In August Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande directed the Ceta board to implement the findings and recommendations from the 2018 probe.
Higher education spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said that Nzimande had “signed a directive to the board for the implementation of the outcomes of the investigation” and that the matter was currently with the board for implementation”.
The case was triggered by a letter that former Ceta CEO Sonja Pilusa wrote to then minister Naledi Pandor, alleging that Cele unduly tried to influence the tenders for the biometric system for learner administration and the learner tablets, valued at R40 million and R50 million, respectively.
According to Pilusa, Cele told her during a meeting at the Melrose Arch centre in Johannesburg in January 2018 that “some politicians” had approached him and requested he assist them with funding for political activities.
She said Cele gave her a list of five companies that he suggested should be favoured for these tenders.
Pilusa said she warned Cele, including in a follow-up meeting, that he was interfering.
She reported the matter to Pandor before she resigned her chief executive officer post in June last year.
Questions sent to Ceta were not answered.
Gumede said “there is no such a thing”, while Magashule and Mkhize could not be reached for comment.
However, Mnisi said: “The department did not try to verify these allegations with the affected parties, since the verification of facts relating to these allegations was covered by the forensic investigation commissioned.”
Pilusa told City Press last week that subsequent to her departure from Ceta, she was interviewed twice by investigators appointed by the department regarding the matter.
However, she said she was not aware of the status of the investigation.
Although Pilusa declined to comment on the merits of her allegations, documents showed that Cele later declined to approve the recommended service provider for the biometrics system, Grayston Reed Consulting.
According to the emails, Cele wanted the Services SETA, which also had a contract with Grayston Reed, to issue a reference report.
CFO Velile Ndlovu protested that the request was irregular but Cele ignored her.
Pilusa, whose contract was due to expire, finally threw in the towel when the requirements for the new CEO post were set higher, which she viewed as intended to exclude her.
Regarding claims that she had irregularly amended staff salary packages without the approval of the board – which has seen Ceta deduct the additional funds that staff members received during that period from their salaries – Pilusa said “all amendments to staff salaries were effected in terms of proper processes and procedures”.
“Any U-turn on amendments to staff salaries effected during my time would therefore be unlawful and unjust. I was never informed by the Ceta – while I was still there or even after my departure – of the alleged unauthorised amendments I made to the staff salary packages. I still await the Ceta to approach me on the matter and I shall then deal with it in terms of evidence to prove relevant accounting authority approvals.”
Although some disgruntled workers at Ceta had said the allegation was fabricated to tarnish Pilusa, she said she could not speculate on the intentions behind this episode, “other than to say I feel sad for the Ceta staff members knowing how hard they worked for emoluments, including achieving a clean audit with zero findings”.
Mnisi said the department was aware of the alleged irregular amendments to the staff salary packages.
“The Accounting Authority is still dealing with the matter and the department is waiting to get updates regarding progress in addressing it. No further details can be availed since the matter is sub judice,” he said.
Last week the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology expressed its “grave disapproval” of the absence of Cele for a scheduled sitting on the Ceta annual report after he submitted a late apology that was rejected by the committee.
Committee chair Philly Mapulane said: “We take exception to the conduct of Mr Cele, which undermines Parliament. Mr Cele knew that the entity was expected to account to Parliament on its 2018/19 annual report. Of great concern is that other Ceta members also learnt on Wednesday that the chairperson would not attend the meeting.
“This demonstrates that Ceta’s house is not in order.”
